Broken Clockwork
by RinnyEjito12
Summary: Was to fall forever better than this world of running rabbits, jealous queens, plotting kings and grinning Egyptians? Was to fall in love better than staying suspended in this one loop of time? We're all mad here. AU Collab with ChaosHasCome
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! Author Rinny here, with a big surprise for all of you! I'm not the only person writing this! For the first time ever, in my short time as a fanfiction author, I'm teaming up with someone! And not just any someone!

_ChaosHasCome!_

Yes, her, and all of her amazing awesomeness. Just, you guys wouldn't believe my excitement when she suggested we should write this together. She's just awesome. If some of you guys don't know her, she's a great author for Metal Fight Beyblade, and the writer of some good titles, like _The Flip Side of Perfection_, _The Other Side, Ask Madoka _ and some cool one-shots. Check her out, it'll be sooo worth your while.

Also, if ya have the time, check out our forum she made. It's called _Masters of Metal_ and we welcome all.

Okay, so this story is an "Alice in Wonderland"/ Cardverse AU of Metal Fight Beyblade, starring Madoka as center role—'Alice'. This idea sprouted from a dream I have a while back, obviously the result of drinking soda before bed, and thus this was born from the minds of Chaos and I.

As it stands now, we're still developing the plot, but we got some killer ideas and plot bunnies. We'll be alternating the chapters, meaning I wrote this one and Chaos is currently working on the second chapter. I'll be posting all of the chapters here, so I don't confuse anyone. I adore this idea, and so does she. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we do writing it!

Since the original summary written by Chaos didn't fit, I pulled the one that's up outta me mind. I still like hers better.

_"Madoka never expected to meet familiar rabbits or fall down any holes when she decided to take a hike through the woods. She most certainly did not expect jealous queens, plotting kings, or grinning Egyptians. And she never expected to fall in love. After all, it was only a forest. Right?"_

**(The ideas and the plot formed in this fiction are property of ChaosHasCome and RinnyEjito12. The idea of the Alternate Universe 'Cardverse' is not, however, only limited to us. Metal Fight Beyblade and Alice in Wonderland belong to their respective owners. The fan character used in this fiction remains property of RinnyEjito12.)**

_This is an AU, meaning it strays from the plot of the show, the manga, and other storylines in Metal Fight Beyblade._

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><p><strong>~Like Broken Clockwork<strong>

"M-Madoka, three more beys came in for a cleaning, a-and we need a Spin Track 100, a Performance Tip RF and an extra Storm Fusion Wheel!"

The brunette mechanic twitched slightly in her desk chair at her work station. Her laptop was opening, her microscope held two different Spin Tracks and three beys, green, blue and purple were held in a single hand. Various bey parts were carelessly spread around her in no hopes of organization and her brush was tucked haphazardly behind her ear. Red-hot anger tried to inch its way through her veins, as she heard the voices of children, young adults and others upstairs.

"I'm working as fast as I can! Tell 'em to back off!"

Two sets of footsteps were heard at the top of the stairs.

"Madoka! This kid is crying for a Semi-Flat Performance Tip and you ran out of those yesterday! What do I do?"

"A-ah... 5 m-more people want maintenance done... The store's becoming very c-crowded..."

Madoka turned slightly to catch the gazes of her two friends, one pale and the other brown, both wide and they were slightly panting from running all around the store. Madoka sunk into her chair a bit and chose to sigh loudly.

Tournament days...

A year or so after Big Bang Bladers, Metal City, the place to be for bladers everywhere, flourished and many bladers had migrated here, for rumors of battling the greatest blader in the world and such...

Madoka was ecstatic at first, more bladers meant more customers, more beys to clean and fix up, more data to collect. To keep up with the flush of bladers, the WBBA began hosting Tournaments maybe two or three times a month.

Where else to prepare for a tournament than B-Pit, the shop of the mechanic of Gan Gan Galaxy?

Tournament days...

What scared her the most was tomorrow, because everyone would want their beys repaired after the beating they'd get from her friends, and then she had her friends' beys to worry about...

Her logical mind ran through many actions, and predicted the consequences of each. The chattering from upstairs grew louder and louder until a small ache and a rage flowed into her small body. with gritted teeth, and a fire now in her cerulean eyes, she stomped up the stairs to see various kids climbing onto her counter, her two friends sweating and panicking to keep them back.

"Ma-Madoka! Do... Do you have the parts?"

"Did you finish that Gemios bey? This kid needs it now!"

The crowd had parted in two, and one half began to crowd around her. The intangible voices raised the throbbing in her head and she rubbed her temples to calm herself down.

This was all in vain when a kid ended up throwing his bey at her head.

Flames seemed to engulf the mechanic, her two friends saw this coming and ducked for cover. The rest watched in annoyance, wonder, and the smart ones, in fear.

"ALL OF YOU BE QUIET! STARTING NOW...! WE'RE CLOSED!"

A resounding wave jabbed her shrieking into everyone's ears, and the sound wave frightened her customers, as most of them ran and huddled to flee the store. The few brave—better yet, idiotic—ones took one glance at her raging pools of blue eyes and disappeared within seconds.

The aftermath had left her with multiple beys and parts scattered across the floor, two friends—one her age and female, the other male and a few years younger—huddling in the corner, and a much more painful headache.

Man, did that feel good.

"Madoka...?"

The young green-haired boy drew enough courage to call out to his friend, and the one next to him picked up her head in curiosity.

The brunette mechanic had slumped against the wall of B-Pit and stared at her friends in apology. None was needed, the two stood and walked over to her. The dark-haired female smiled gently as the green-haired boy grinned.

"You gonna be okay?"

"You... should rest a while..."

The mechanic nodded, staring at the ceiling.

"I'd love to, but this place makes me think of beyblade too much."

The two friends glanced at each other—she didn't want to think of beyblade?—and then back to Madoka. They guessed they understood, she seemed far too overworked. Soon enough, an idea popped into the young boy's head.

"Hey Madoka, why don't ya go relax around the forest around Metal City? I don't really think you can't not think of Beyblade here."

She honestly thought it was a good idea, and ran down the stairs to grab her laptop, and packed a few things she would need from a short day trip. When she got back upstairs, her friends were beginning to clean up, stating that they would take care of it for her, and that the former sub member for Gan Gan Galaxy would come and help soon. She would've hugged them both tight if the pale-eyed girl wasn't reading as she cleaned and if the brown-eyed boy wasn't holding 10 beys in his small hands.

Before she could reach the door after saying good-bye, the girl stopped her.

"If you find yourself out of o-options, Madoka... You should read. I-it's one of my favorites. Hope you like it."

An old fairytale book, green with silver words marking them. She flipped through the yellowed pages a bit, and then smiled. She thanked her and promised her she would.

Though she honestly preferred reading digitally, she took the book along with her on her hike.

Lucky for her, her father's store wasn't so far from the exit to the city and the entrance of the forests. She had been here many times, whether as a small child wanting to research beys on her own, or with friends, looking for the now champion after another one of his destructive battles.

The lush green leaves and tall wood trunks greeted her in kindness when she walked closer. Soft sounds of birds chirping and a light waterfall nearby instantly rang in her eardrums. A sweet, welcome change from the loud noises of the bustling city.

She walked and walked, step after step, deeper and deeper into the woods. She walked around a lot when traveling, and she had been able to go farther than she could before without getting tired. However, she was only herself, and fatigue crept in as her legs grew sore. Madoka couldn't help but wonder how long she had been walking, as the sunlight was still as bright as it was when she had entered, which she found odd.

Soon, her pack was dropped unceremoniously on a root of a tree and she seated herself on a sturdy rock next to it. Trying to ignore the soreness, she dug into her bag to find her laptop. Pressing a few buttons on the keyboard, and she opened documents on various beys she had scanned. She laughed when in part of her notes she ranted about how careless one of her friends, one of the more prideful and wild ones, was about his bey with its 145WB Spin Track and Performance Tip. The Wide Ball Tip was very fragile in battle, and he sprang into battle, throwing around these wild moves left and right. She knew better now, it was his style, and though she didn't like it as much, he cared for his bey and the beast inside was more than happy to grow stronger alongside him.

She read through more of her notes during Big Bang Bladers, it was like re-living every moment, every battle. Her red-head friend, now the Champion, and how he pulled off a great save with a new special move created by noticing the new power in his Rubber Flat Tip.

Madoka found herself shaking her head furiously and shutting her laptop quickly with a little too much force.

Didn't she come here to avoid Beyblade, if only for a day?

Trying to find something to distract herself, she dug into her pack and fished out a relatively light book. She thought she wasn't going to read it, but it was still something to do. A bookmark was placed in the middle of it, so she started there. The mechanic read the title out loud.

"Alice in Wonderland..."

She sunk herself deeper against the trunk of the tree and began reading with no vigor to really understand the words on the page. She turned the yellowed pages, one after the other, until she finished. She didn't expect the story to be so long, and there were elements she was sure weren't in the fairytale before. When she shut the book, and looked to the sky, she was even more surprised to notice that the sky hadn't darkened, it was still the same bright blue peeking through the leaves as it was before. Madoka huffed, realizing the day hadn't been dented by any of her actions, and she knew she couldn't stand it if she returned before at least sunset.

So she stood, packing her laptop and the book, and tugged the bag on her shoulders. Walking more could further clear her mind. Three steps were taken before Madoka heard a soft 'clink' behind her. She turned to see her Gasher had fallen through an open pocket.

Though she herself rarely battled, she still secretly carried her bey everywhere. She loved her friend as much as the blader members of Gan Gan Galaxy did their's, her bond with her bey was just more quiet, and less-noticed.

Picking up her bey quickly, she observed for any cracks or dirt. When all seemed fairly okay, she went to put her friend back in her pocket. Instead, she felt the metal and plastic that was her launcher and pull cord. Pulling them out as well, she stared at the objects in her hand for a few seconds before quickly assembling them together.

On a complete whim, she assumed the stance of many of her friends before her and began a countdown.

"Let it rip!"

As Gasher began a steady rotation on the ground in front of her, she smiled at the decent launch she performed. She sat again and pointed her laptop at the spinning bey, measuring Gasher's stamina and speed. She was happily analyzing, perfectly fine that it's stamina wasn't as long as the prodigy's or the green-haired boy's, that her strength was as powerful as the prideful one or the Champion's. It didn't matter to her at all that her speed was nowhere near the silver-haired member of the WBBA...

A flash of silver-white appeared in her peripheral vision and Madoka snapped her head up. A figure flashed past her and large eyes struggled to follow it. She then turned to watch her Gasher, only to see what she thought was a leg lash out and strike the still spinning bey. She gasped, and watched in horror as her bey crashed into a tree, its momentum allowing it to bounce and then hurl into another tree, then another, until it was too weak and stuck firmly—harshly—into a crevice in a tree's trunk some ways away.

The figure responsible was now visible, and she saw flowing silver hair, tied at the bottom, conjoined with the silhouette running to the tree her bey landed in.

Anger filled her before anything else. How could ANYONE be so inconsiderate? Not just to her, but to her poor bey as well!

"Tsubasa?"

Standing to race after the culprit, she gasped when as she grew near, the figure disappeared. Gone. No trace in this silent cathedral of wilderness. Her feet skidded to a stop and Madoka looked from side to side, desperately trying to find the person to lash out at. Her search was in vain, when she realized she was alone once again.

Was her mind playing tricks on her? Was that really her older blader friend running through these forests? Madoka huffed, blowing at her bangs slightly and ignored the questions in her head when she saw her poor bey still unmoving in that crevice. She walked near the tree and looked up, now noticing her bey was pretty high up there. Not wanting to climb just yet, she stood on the edge of her toes and swayed gently trying to reach the Fusion Wheel to grab. In her haste to snatch it, and in her instability, she didn't notice the large hole near her feet, and that with her next step, she would be sent plummeting head-first.

**...0o0o0o0...**

Two young boys held fast to each other's hand as they navigated the familiar land of their home. Seeing the wilderness of the neighboring kingdom inch closer was frightening, they never had stepped foot off of their kingdom's soil. Friends had come and go visiting from the woods, but they never followed. Well, that could change today. One brother looked to the other, soft brown meeting excited green, as the Clock Tower loomed over the trees in the corners of their eyes. It was said to be pointed right smack in the middle of all four kingdoms, maybe they could also go visit...

A figure rushed past them, leaving them with a glance of tanned skin and silver-white hair. The long ears protruding from the figure's head swayed as the silhouette disappeared into the woods of that kingdom.

A few more steps, the two brothers stepped off the soil of their home and stopped.

"I could've sworn I heard "Gotta hurry!", right?"

"I heard "I'm late!", didn't you?"

**...0o0o0o0...**

In a garden not far from this way or that way, decorated with lotus flowers and hedges growing around a simple house standing in the middle of everywhere and nowhere, a table stood proudly.

Setting the table, was a strange trio of maybe-friends. One, the bigger of the tree, was gleefully tipping his wild hat and setting out chairs for guests that were sure to come. Another, a dark-skinned male, was setting plates and silverware for each seat. The last, the smallest and the only female shouldered the messenger bag she held and yawned as she served snacks and poured tea into each cup. All three spun around the table at their own tempo, humming the same song in a similar way. As the song came to a close, all three friends bumped into one another, and nearly fell over. They all glanced at one another and threw a fit of laughs and giggles.

Suddenly, a figure rushed past the garden, leaving them with only a glance of long hair and a gleaming pocket watch.

"Is he always in such a rush? The dark-skinned one asked, long ears falling against his shoulders, as the larger one tipped in hat in a nod, confirming the answer. The smallest yawned quietly, a small flush over her face as her mouse ears pulled back.

'Was he very late...? H-How tiring...'

**...0o0o0o0...**

As he lounged on the tall hedge, the first of the many that went on forever in this Maze of Roses, he noted the location. Not too far from that way but surely a day's walk from this way. Neither here nor there, in the place it always had been, right here. He had sensed it just as much as his king did, someone new would come right here, and soon.

One ear propped up as a new noise was heard, and he sat himself up, now allowing his body visibility as he appeared above the entrance of this Maze. His striped tail moved gracefully as he grinned that grin his friends knew him for.

Golden eyes met his as the person they belonged to rushed towards the entrance. A slight nod was sent his way and he sent one back, lying again on the branches of the hedge as boots ran into the maze and away, already knowing the familiar path when he called, "A tad late, aren't we?"

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><p>So, haha, this is my part! I wanted to make it a tad longer, but I love it as it is! I'm a bit anxious... Okay, <em>very<em> anxious, but I have confidence in this.

Hehe, can you all guess who's who? More characters are to come, Wonderland's a big place on its own!

Also, since Chaos and I love this couple so much, there _will_ be KyouMado in this fic. Because we said so. Other pairings are still to be decided, but that one's set in stone.

So, I'll end this here, as I wait excitedly for Chaos' part! My only bragging right is that I'll be able to read it before you guys~! X3 (Just kidding~!)

Chaos did leave you guys with a little blurb from her part. Check out it's awesomeness!:

_"Madoka was forced to acknowledge that the fall would logically end in her death. She was also forced to acknowledge that she had been falling for an unreasonably long time already, as if time itself had stilled and she was rushing through a black vortex, frozen infinitely. A cold fear slithered up her spine at the thought that perhaps she would continue to fall forever, suspended eternally in one small loop of time, bound to replay over and over."_

Phew! Lookit! Look how amazing! It gets me pumped for the next bit! :D

So yeah, thanks for reading!

**~RinnyEjito12/Diana**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So that took a lot longer than I was expecting! I went off to Spain for Spring break, loaded with homework and came back with food poisoning ten days later. That kept me down for ten days and then I was swamped once more with homework. So I'm putting aside my english and spanish work to do this! Because this is much more entertaining.**

**And oh yeah! I'm ChaosHasCome, the other co-author of this wonderful little story. I'm working with Rinny to create this fic and I hope you all enjoy it!**

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><p><em>Dust motes swirled through the air in a silent dance, illuminated by soft sunlight filtering through panes of glass. Each pane was contained in a different window; each window was different from the next.<em>

_The west facing window was curled into a large heart. Gentle lines sloped and curved, curling at the heart's bottom point in delicate curliques. Bold red glass served as a barrier between the still room and the tumbling ocean in the distance. Large waves crashed against weather worn bluffs, spraying the air with a fine mist and coating the rocks in a salty brine. Spotting the horizon were a collection of islands, black against the cerulean waters and sky._

_Facing east stood the second window, opposite the first. Its shape was a large diamond, carved with harsh lines and precise angles. Crystalline glass allowed one a clear view of the savannah below. Long, brown grasses swayed with the arid wind, stretching off into the distance. Where the savannah ended, a large, tangled mass of vegetation marred the blue horizon. Its dark form rose, intimidating, against a cloudless sky. Jungle vines, woven through with venomous serpents, waited to ensnare stray travelers._

_The third window faced directly south. It was abstractly shaped as a club: artistic wings spread wide, framing a horse head with a glimmering mane. Below, the horse's body was reared back, as if prepared for battle. The glass that paned the window was the color of a summer sky on a cloudless day. The flying horse overlooked a green meadow patched with wildflowers. The air was spicy with the many floral aromas. A gentle spiral of clouds stretched toward the ground like a staircase to the heavens. A cerulean sky cradled the clouds in tender hands._

_The final window, north facing, was not as beautiful as its counterparts. An imperial spade was formed by two golden dragons, each twisting to finally meet in a clash of claws and teeth at the spade's tip. A third dragon coiled around the spade's base, teeth bared in a fierce snarl. Red eyes glowed warningly, pulsing with some unknown energy. No glass separated the room from the harsh view below- only cold, empty air. The landscape was harsh, a barren wasteland devoid of vegetation or life. This wretched plain stretch for miles, terminating at the base of a distance mountain that loomed dark against the horizon. Flames and ash spewed from its rocky lips. The mountain belched smoke into the gray sky, casting a dreary shadow over the land._

_All four windows were trapped in a large, timeless clock tower. The gilded clock face was ornate: Gold and silver embellished the dials and numbers and jewels were set into its rim. For all its beauty though, the clock had not worked for many years. There was a legend passed down through generations, regarding the broken clock tower. After the first wars plagued the land, the clock had stopped moving, its hands frozen perpetually at ten past eleven. The legend continues to say that the hands shall never again move until all four nations once more find peace. Until that moment, time throughout the lands shall be forever stopped, just like broken clockwork._

**.&.**

Madoka blinked away unconsciousness, rubbing her eyes to hasten its departure. Her back was pressed against a cool surface, limbs sprawled haphazardly across the ground. Her fingertips sought purchase and found none: only cold, unforgivable metal, solid against her palms. Madoka's body felt heavy, almost like gravity was pressing a crushing fist against her in an attempt to eradicate her. Madoka took a few moments to breathe shallowly, allowing the air to awaken her lethargic body and senses.

Madoka sat up cautiously after testing her limbs for injuries. Finding she could stand without pain, Madoka peered curiously around her. The cool metal below her had a copper sheen and stretched from wall to wall. The room was cylindrical with walls coated in the same strange metal as the floor. A soft rustling of wings from above caused Madoka to glance up, frightened. While her eyes found not the source of the noise, they did light upon the mass of broken clockwork tangled above. The giant cogs were frozen in place, as was everything else. Copper and silver wire held rusted gears together, suspended in time. Elaborate spider webs formed castles and forts among the broken mechanisms; bats alighted in the soaring metal rafters.

A warm whisper of sunlight breathed softly against Madoka's cheek. Her eyes strayed to its source, the sun, which glimmered pale blue through a beautiful window structured like a winged horse of lore. Madoka took note of three other windows, each on a different window: a diamond, a heart, and a spade. Thinking back to a deck of cards, Madoka thought it a strange coincidence that each window matched a different suit.

The study of the windows also allowed Madoka to notice that there was no door. She spun in a slow circle, wondering if it was perhaps hidden. She found none, no trap door or small keyhole. There was, however, a small table sitting under the horse window. It had not been there a few minutes prior and Madoka wondered how it could have happened to appear out of thin air.

Walking over to inspect the table, Madoka saw that four objects sat on its smooth top. The first was an ancient looking key, the handle rusted with age and the metal tarnished. The second was a long coil of brown rope. Finally, a tin of biscuits sat next to a small bottle of clear liquid. The tin was simply labeled "Eat Me" and the bottle similarly labeled "Drink Me." Not sure how wise it was to drink an unmarked liquid, Madoka carefully opened the tin of biscuits. Only two cookies rested inside. In frosting, the read respectively: Shrink and Grow. Shrugging, Madoka closed the tin once more. She slid the small vile into her bag, along with the biscuits. Picking up the key, Madoka wondered what it could possibly open. In a stroke of thought, she carried it over to the diamond window. Inspecting the window's base, Madoka found a keyhole that matched perfectly the key. Sliding it into the hole, Madoka watched as the glass slid up into the window, leaving a clear path of access to the outside world.

A small hook protruded below the window, a small loop that a piece of rope could tie to. Shrugging, Madoka fetched the rope and attached it to the hook. Throwing the rope out of the window, Madoka watched as the end hit the ground below. This must be her escape route.

Tugging on the rope to check its sturdiness, Madoka began to descend.

**.&.**

Madoka's stomach slammed into her heart as the feel of free fall roiled through her. Her hands shook as they flailed desperately around her, trying to prevent the inevitable: a violent plummet without knowledge of where and how she would stop.

The dark was all consuming as it rushed past her head, the chill air trailing icy fingers across her face and neck. A whistling resounded in her ears and her slim legs flailed uselessly below her. Her arms pinwheeled, searching for something to latch onto. Her grasping fingers found no purchase; only empty air.

Madoka was forced to acknowledge that the fall would logically end in her death. She was also forced to acknowledge that she had been falling for an unreasonably long time already, as if time itself had stilled and she was rushing through a black vortex, frozen infinitely. A cold fear slithered up her spine at the thought that perhaps she would continue to fall forever, suspended eternally in one small loop of time, bound to replay over and over.

As the fear washed over her in terrifying waves, Madoka realized that she was -impossibly- slowing her rushing descent. She seemed to be leisurely traveling downward on a soft cushion of air, capable of looking at her surroundings.

At first, only the inky darkness filled her vision. Gradually though, light began to filter up from deep below. It was a soft yellow glow that chased away the fleeing blackness and illuminated everything around her. Rising around her as if from a surreal dream were paintings and clocks of all shapes and sizes. A small pocket watch sailed silently past her while a grandfather clock ascended slowly, spiraling upwards.

Madoka barely had time to register this before her plummet towards the enigmatic light sped up once more, causing a scream to slip unhindered past her lips. She clamped her teeth firmly over her mouth to prevent it from repeating itself, feeling that any sound would be unwelcome in this strange place.

Air rushed around her head, swirling her hair into a brown halo. Madoka was beginning to feel like her free fall would be unending. Just as the thought swam its way lazily through her mind, her body slammed into something hard and her world turned to black, everything fading into misty velvet.

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><p><em>Hey, this is Rinny! I... I told you guys how much I admire and love Chaos, right? Isn't she just utterly amazing? I mean, the way she writes in incredible. I was so happy I could read it firsthand. I had a little trouble uploading it, but other than that, this came out amazingly. <em>

_I really didn't mind her taking as long as she did, I was just glad she had fun in the amazing Spain. I'm ready to get the next part done. Let's keep you all in the dark for one more chapter, it's fun! _

_On a totally unrelated note, do any of you guys read my story "Caught Up?" If so, I'd like to announce I'm thinking of re-writing it. I'll never abandon that story, but I kind of lost track of where I was going. Chapters will be longer and ideas more played-out. I also have things I'd like to ask people personally, but that'll happen through PM. Just wanted to get it out there... Sorry!_

_Please go check out more of Chaos' work if you haven't already, and I hoped you enjoyed reading this!_

**_(To Chaos, I kept things are they were. They were too awesome and I don't think I saw a mistake :D)_**

_-RinnyEjito12 _


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